


Debrief

by WritLarge



Series: Inception Bingo 2018 [1]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Gen, Inception Bingo, Missing & Presumed Dead, Post-Canon, Post-Inception, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-15 21:56:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15422448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritLarge/pseuds/WritLarge
Summary: “It is you.” Arthur stands in the doorway, scowling. Doesn’t have a gun out though, so Nash figures he’s got some chance of reprieve.





	Debrief

“It is you.” Arthur stands in the doorway, scowling. Doesn’t have a gun out though, so Nash figures he’s got some chance of reprieve.

“Arthur.” Nash had evaded Cobol and gone underground quickly after his run-in with Saito’s goons, relying on one of Arthur’s for-emergencies-only safe houses for sanctuary. He knew if Arthur had survived Cobb’s mess that he’d find Nash eventually. “Where’s Cobb?”

“Home,” Arthur rubs his face, entering the living room and collapsing into a nearby chair. It isn’t much. Cheap, neutral-toned furniture and tightly fitted blinds. The whole place is boringly suburban, a planned neighbourhood with curved streets and neighbours who spent all day working and all evening inside or behind tall fences. 

“What about Cobol? Saito?”

“Handled. Glad you’re not dead.” 

Well, that’s something, isn’t it? Nash was prepared for a furious Arthur, had run through his explanations in his head a thousand times, but weariness is all the pointman exudes now. Maybe he doesn’t care? Maybe he doesn’t know. The exchange at the helicopter is still a bit of a blur in his memory. Nash had been terrified, half-starved and punch drunk, and all his mental energy had been focused on survival.

Fucking carpet,” Nash snorts. “Christ. I can’t believe you let him drag you into that. What did Saito have you do?”

“Fuck if I know. Inception, I think. I wasn’t there.” Inception? Damn.

“You stayed topside?” Being extremely stable as a dreamer makes Arthur a key part of many jobs, pointman skills aside. A team with any sense would only keep him topside in the case of an imminent safety threat.

Arthur shakes his head, “Second level. Most of the work happened on the third.”

“Three levels. Damn.” What kind of chemist did they have? “How’d you manage that?”

Arthur scowls again. “Fucking Yusuf.”

“Who?” Nash is dying of curiosity. Who has they hired to pull off an inception? Who had their architect been?

“You got something to drink?” Arthur doesn’t bother to give him any details. Typical.

“Yeah.” Nash goes to the kitchen and pulls out a half-empty bottle of vodka, pouring them a healthy measure each in a couple of mugs. Maybe the alcohol will help loosen the uptight bastard’s tongue. “It was that bad, huh? Cobb finally screw you over?”

“Fuck you.” Okay, then.

“So he did. I told you he would.” Arthur glares but readily takes the drink he’s handed. Nash isn’t that fond of Cobb, never had been. The guy is brilliant but he’s crazy too, and Nash only goes on his jobs for the high payouts. Not anymore. Not if even Arthur is out.

“Shut the fuck up and drink.” 

He sips at his vodka before putting it down to light a cigarette, watching Arthur slump. 

“Least you didn’t end up in limbo.”

“Could’ve.”

“Didn’t.”

“Yeah. No thanks to Cobb and Yusuf,” Arthur empties his mug in one go. “Saito must’ve snagged you pretty quick after we botched the first job.”

“Well... you know how it is. Zigged when I should have zagged.” It isn’t a complete lie. They had caught his trail when he’d opted to give up and see what kind of deal he could make for himself. It hadn’t gone how he’d hoped.

“Sure,” Arthur nods, “but how the hell did you give Cobol the slip once Saito released you? It can’t have been easy. They were fucking relentless.”

“It helped that they were mostly pissed at Cobb,” he explains, going on to give Arthur the details of his journey. It’s the sort of thing Arthur likes to know for future reference and he wants to stay on his good side. As he talks, Arthur gets up to pour himself another drink, tripping on the uneven carpet. Lightweight.

“Sounds rough,” he comments from the kitchen when Nash pauses.

“It was,” he calls, staring at the bland four walls that had been his sanctuary for the past few months. “Lucky for me, I had your emergency planning to save my ass.” 

Nash leans back only to feel the press of Arthur’s glock against the back of his head. Shit.

“And now your luck has run out. Thanks for the debrief, Nash.” He barely has time to be thankful for the quick execution before it’s done.

An hour later the house is nothing more than ash.


End file.
